Founder's Letter

A commons is a safe, central space for all members of society to meet, exchange ideas and work out solutions. Modeled after this idea, Vermont Commons School is a school that transcends its own walls, where students, teachers and other members of the community come together to share ideas and expertise. Students learn about the world by investigating the interconnection between the natural world and human environments, on a global level and in their own communities.

As we stand on the brink of a new century, we find ourselves immersed in a time of rapid change and growing complexity. While planning our future, we must reexamine our relationships-- between the individual and local community, local community and global community, and humans and the natural environment. Most importantly, we must prepare our children to understand and shape their roles within these relationships. The founding of Vermont Commons School is the product of our belief that meeting the challenges of the future begins one child, one family, and one community at a time.

We place our hope for the future in the education of our children. Vermont Commons School opens its doors to provide the dynamic education that is necessary to prepare our children for the challenges of the future.

Robert A. Skiff, Sr.
Robert A. Skiff, Jr.
Leah Mital Skiff
Founders